


Five Squared Classification AU Notes

by parallelmonsoon



Series: Classification Verse [3]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Classification AU, Gen, Notes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:28:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24793903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parallelmonsoon/pseuds/parallelmonsoon
Summary: Just some expanded information on this universe.  In this classification AU, class is based on a person's primary instinctive drive and stress response, NOT their sexual role.  These notes go over how class is assigned, each class's tendencies, and how society handles class.
Series: Classification Verse [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1534997
Comments: 20
Kudos: 88





	1. Testing Protocol

Five Squared exists in an universe where society is divided into six possible classifications. Unlike many classification AUs, the classes are NOT inherently sexual. A person's class is determined by their primary instinctive drive, especially their reaction to stress. Class can play a role in sexuality and there is a good amount of stereotyping and expectations attached to a person's class, but the two are not intrinsically tied. 

The six classes are Dominant, Submissive, Caregiver, Little, Neutral, and All. It is possible to have a mixed class, such as Dominant/Caregiver. 

People are assigned their class in their final year of high school. Most people will have an expectation of what their class will be. For many it is fairly obvious from a young age. Schools have class counselors who observe students and keep records of their interactions. Teachers and parents are also expected to submit periodic reports. A student's class record follows them throughout their school career (including if they move schools.) 

Most people will show signs of their class from a very young age. Again, class is determined only by one's instinctive drives and reaction to stress. For people with only one class (which is the majority), their primary drive and stress reaction are going to be fairly consistent throughout their life. It can be harder to make an early determination with mixed classes, but the uncertainty itself is enough to indicate that the person will likely be assigned a mixed class. 

In the final year of high school a class test is performed. Because class is determined partially by a person's reaction to stress, the students must be placed in a stressful situation. Testing protocols change yearly to prevent the students from preparing in advance. The testing protocols are developed and mandated by the government Class Assignment Agency. Proctors from the agency are brought in to administer the test. ALL students must undergo testing, even if their class is obvious to everyone who knows them. 

Testing is performed in small groups. Care is taken to ensure a mix of likely classes in each group, as determined by the school's class counselor. Before the test begins the students are given medications that induce an artificial stress response. While generally quite safe, there is a small risk of side effects, especially if a student has an undiagnosed cardiac condition. 

While the testing protocol is different every year, it typically follows a fairly standard format. Each step is carefully calculated to heighten stress. Typically the students are given a task to complete with minimal instruction. The proctors are trained to display little emotion and to ignore students in distress. The very presence of the unfamiliar, aloof proctors alone is upsetting and disorientating. The proctors will only step in if a student is at risk of serious physical harm. 

Some examples of possible tests: 

-The students start off in a classroom. After the medication is administered, they are rushed to another location by impersonal guards who refuse to answer questions. They are told to build a structure by following a diagram. They are given three hours and told that failure to complete the structure will result in failure of the class. (This was Logan's testing protocol.) 

-As above, the students are rushed to a location. They are given a selection of props and told to stage a short play on an assigned topic. They are left to figure out the details on their own. Halfway through the three hours, the assigned topic is switched. 

-The students are blindfolded and bused out to a forest. They are told they must find their own way back to the school. They are told that the entire class must arrive together. 

In truth, it is impossible to fail the test. The stressful conditions and the artificial adrenaline from the medications typically ensure the students are too panicked to realize that failure is impossible (as all citizens are assigned...there is no 'unassigned' group that failures could belong to.) On a social level, parents and older peers are expected to keep any information about the tests as vague as possible.  
Since those parents and peers endured the same process, it is seen as a right of passage and few people will break this taboo. 

When the testing protocol is complete the students are given a medication to help them calm down. The head testing proctor discusses each student's test with the school class counselor and reviews the student's class record. In most cases the proctor and counselor will agree on the student's assigned class. In the event there is disagreement, the proctor has right of assignment. 

At this point each student has an individual meeting with the counselor and proctor. The student is asked questions about their responses during the test. Students are allowed some input about what they think their class is likely to be, but socially they are discouraged from 'assigning themselves'. So a student is allowed to say “When I'm scared I like others to tell me what to do” and not “I'm a submissive.”

After the interview the student is told their assigned class and their response is observed. If the student seems unusually distressed, the proctor will attempt to reassure them. As some parents may react unfavorably to certain classes, the main concern is to ensure the student feels safe at home. However, by this stage the student has already been presenting as their assigned class for quite some time, and any issues of this type will hopefully have been discovered prior. 

Finally, the parent or guardian is brought in. Some schools will allow an entire family, but most set limits simply for efficiency's sake. They are told their student's class and again their response is observed. Students who seem likely to resist or struggle with their class are monitored and given class acceptance counseling. The parents may be forced to attend as well. If a student and parents strongly disagree with the assigned class, it is possible to file an appeal. The student will have to undergo a new test with a new proctor. This happens very rarely, and when it does the class almost always remains the same. 

Depending on the size of the school, testing each student may be a lengthy process. This sometimes means that testing must begin early in the senior year and continue throughout, with some students receiving their class much earlier then others. 

Most schools will arrange for students to have several days off after their test to recover. When all students have been tested it is customary to have a Classification Prom. 

Bullying based on class is deeply frowned upon. Of course, it *does* happen, and in some schools may be supported by the teachers and staff. All schools are required to have facilities for students who regress and a quiet room for submissive students. However, these can vary widely from a  
sate-of-the-art Little room to a padded closet. 

This testing protocol applies to the United States. Other countries have their own protocols, but almost all perform some form of testing and one's class is included on their legal documents, including their passport. There are some countries that assign *different* classes. There are also countries that have different stereotypes and legal protections (or lack thereof) associated with various classes.


	2. What is a 'drive?'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the heck do I mean by instinctive drive?

As stated, class is determined by the primary reaction to stress. I'll go over each class in their own chapters, but the general breakdown is as follows: 

Dominant- will take control  
Submissive- will give up control  
Caregiver- compelled to take care of others   
Little- prone to age regression   
Neutral- does not experience an instinctive drive   
All- seems to experience the various instinctive drives at random

The best way to think of the drives is in comparison to flight, flight, or freeze. For most of us, *which* of these responses we exhibit is out of our control and flexible. We may freeze at one stressful situation and flee another. 

In the classification AU, one's stress response is much more predictable (while still being outside of one's direct control.) And that stress response also influences behavior the rest of the time. In a very stressful situation, a dominant is going to feel compelled to take control over the situation or the people around them. That drive is still there the rest of the time, it's just typically weaker and easier to regulate. 

While everyone within a class will experience the same instinctive drive, the strength of it does vary. A very submissive person may try to give up control to everyone around them at all times. Another will only feel strongly driven to give up control in emergencies, but exhibits little submissive qualities outside of them. There are social pressures in play that encourage people to 'play to their class', so that low submissive individual may feel the need to act as if their drive is stronger then it is. 

A person *can* ignore their drive or act against it, but it is difficult and can trigger a later stress response. So a high submissive individual can take control in an emergency if truly necessary, but is likely to later experience 'sub drop'. 

Generally, ignoring one's drive will make that drive even stronger in stressful situations. Indulging one's drive in safe ways allows an individual to retain more control when they truly need to. For this reason people are encouraged to expend their drives in a variety of ways. 

In the case of mixed drives, which one is triggered in an emergency is either random (as with fight or flight) or more commonly a mix of the two. People who have compatible drives, like Caregiver/Dominant, will not experience much distress from this. Less compatible drives, like Caregiver/Little, may struggle more if both drives are triggered at the same time. Outside emergencies, the mix of drives is usually easier to cope with, though society pressure again may cause internal conflict. Again, indulging both drives in safe ways makes it easier to maintain control at other times. Indulging only one drive and ignoring the other is likely to lead to an event where the ignored drive becomes progressively stronger and harder to control. 

(Neutrals and Alls will be discussed in their own chapters.)


	3. Relationship webs

Relationships in the Five Squared Verse. 

Relationships in general in the Five Squared verse can often be complex and interlaced. Because of the nature of drives, each of the four 'main' classes has an opposite that helps fill their drive (dom/sub, caregiver/little.) Each class is encouraged to interact regularly with their opposite to help both sides regulate their drive when needed. These relationships are referred to as drive bonds. 

While they often are, a drive bond need not be romantic or sexual in nature. They can be temporary (which are often found through bond apps) or permanent. A permanent bond is referred to as a designated partner. A designated bond requires a personalized contract that is reviewed and endorsed by a specialized lawyer and two witnesses (as well as a video recording.) Once approved, information about one's designated partner appears on the government ID and in one's digital records. Designated bond partners have some legal responsibility toward each other (more will be explained in each class's section.) These contracts can be broken at any time on either side, and there are restrictions as to what may be included. 

Temporary drive partnerships require a premade contract and a video recording of the signing. Temporary contracts expire after one month, but can be signed repeatedly. 

Poly designation bonds are quite common and socially accepted. (Indeed, they are almost socially enforced for caregivers and to a lesser extent doms.) As noted, a bond relationship is not necessarily romantic or sexual. A person may be married and have several designated drive partners as well. Those drive relationships are not viewed as 'lesser' then the marriage, just different and just as essential to a happy, healthy life. The acceptance of poly drive relationships has lead to an acceptance of poly marriages as well. 

Using Logan's family to illustrate the complex nature of relationships in this verse...

Logan's mother is a caregiver married to a submissive in a romantic relationship. She has two designated littles (non-romantic relationship.) His father has a designated dom (romantic relationship, but the dom is not involved with Logan's mother.) His brother is a little with a temporary caregiver (non-romanatic.) He has recently started dating another little, who has their own caregiver (aroace queerplatonic relationship, will probably also include the brother someday as well.) 

So in this first layer we have nine people. But one of Logan's mother's littles is a little/sub who also has a dom. The other little is married to a submissive. His father's designated dom has two other designated subs, who are both friendly with his father. One of those subs is a caregiver/sub with a temporary-bordering-on-long-term little. 

And so on. Not all people will maintain close relationships with their partner's extended 'web' of drive partners. So it isn't atypical for a married couple to interact with each others' drive partners only in passing or to be simply cordial. But there are also families like Logan's, where everyone knows everyone and a backyard BBQ can include a truly ridiculous amount of people. There are also variations within a given individual's degree of connection. Logan's brother, for example, is highly connected to everyone in his 'web' except his temporary caregiver's other littles. They just aren't a part of his life.


	4. The Importance of Drive Partners

> _That’s an interesting mechanic! I love the world building! I always get a bit excited whenever I see that you’ve posted a lore dump, because I always get to learn something about one of your stories that I might not have even thought to ask! If my memory serves right, Virgil said he did not have a designated caregiver, correct? If you don’t mind me asking, is it rare for people to not have any drive bonds at a given time? I would guess it is at least frowned upon to not have any for long periods, but I thought it couldn’t hurt to ask (Also, as previously stated, I Love Your Lore Dumps_ )!

Great question! 

It is indeed rare and discouraged for a person not to have drive bonds. Society as a whole depends on them.

Without drive bonds, one’s class holds much more sway over one’s behavior. Not every dom can be a CEO. So if all the doms in lesser positions in a company were constantly trying to hold the top position, the company wouldn’t be able to function. But a dom who regularly gets to express their drive in other ways is going to be better able to take orders from higher-ups. They would still be a dom, and they’re still going to throw their weight around every day in a hundred annoying little ways because that’s just what a dom does. But with better drive regulation comes the ability to know when that’s appropriate and when it absolutely isn’t. 

Same with caregivers. An unregulated caregiver can be a pain in the ass to everyone around them. You can only be offered tea so many times an hour before you start getting irritated. And if they think they’ve identified a problem in your life, they have a tendency to go ahead and ‘fix it’ without permission. Job stressing you out? An unregulated caregiver on a rampage might call in and tell them you quit. 

Unregulated subs may become incapable of functioning because they can’t make decisions. Unregulated littles will regress more and more often, interfering with their ability to perform adult responsibilities. And with littles in particular there is additional reason to want them regulated. A regressed little is not legally capable of making decisions from themselves. Which means someone else has to take that responsibility. Normally this would be the designated caregiver. Without a designated caregiver things get complicated. Let’s say someone regresses at work. Larger businesses are required to have a little room with at least one staff member. But that’s too big a burden for small businesses with limited space and employees. Their fellow employees have the option of waiting a limited amount of time to see if they age up. If they don’t, the designated caregiver is called. If there is no designated caregiver, they go to the nearest little center, which is usually part of a hospital. If there were a large amount of littles without designated caregivers, those centers would be overrun. And at least in a work setting their fellow employees would know them and know their preferences. What if they regress while out and about? Citizens have a legal obligation to intervene if they come across a regressed little, which would mean calling for help and again will end with that little at the care center. Which most littles very much do not want, because it’s often disorientating and they have to pay a fee every time it happens, just as you would pay for hospital treatment. (That fee is waived if they come to the little center of their own, as an encouragement to fill their drive if they don’t have a temporary or designated partner.)

I mentioned before that there is social pressure on doms and caregivers to have poly drive bonds. That’s because subs and littles outnumber doms and caregivers. With regulation being so important, doms and caregivers are encouraged to care for multiple subs or littles to help even out the ratio. If they can’t or don’t want to have a poly bond, they are encouraged to volunteer time every month at little centers or sub facilities. A dom or caregiver who refuses to do either is going to be thought of as selfish and unpatriotic. This will come up later with Patton (does it seem odd that a man with such a strong caregiver drive doesn’t seem to have a little of his own already?)

So, yeah. The importance of drives is hammered home young. There is often talk of requiring it legally, but that would be like requiring people to be married. The safety nets society has developed like little centers and sub facilities (places where subs without designated partners can go to interact with dom volunteers) work fairly well. 

Of course, Virgil wasn’t going to temporary caregivers or little centers either, so his drive is completely unregulated. From a society viewpoint, he’s the worst case scenario. But Virgil is also Mr. Moneybags, so he has ways to avoid being caught in society’s safety nets. He has his home outfitted with regression in mind and rarely needs to leave it, since he can obtain anything he needs in other ways. Attending the con was a huge deal for him, but he *voluntarily* regressed alone repeatedly in the months prior (someday he would not normally do) in hopes of having his drive regulated enough to avoid issues. But Virgil was himself misunderstanding the nature of his own drive. It isn’t simply regression in itself that ‘fills’ his class’s drive. A child wants to be cared for. Without a caregiver, no amount of regression will balance him. 

To point out…none of the boys have designated partners. But they’re still young, and with designated bonds being something like a marriage, that’s not really that unusual. Logan being a neutral does not ‘need’ one. Patton fills his drive both through his work and by volunteering extensively at his hospital’s little center. Roman has a string of one time temporary partners and does the minimum of volunteer duty each month. Janus has one carefully vetted and very well paid temporary partner in every city he visits (and never volunteers). Society is very accepting of doms, subs, and caregivers who choose to fill their drives via temporary partners or volunteer work. Littles, however, are pressured to have a designated partner due to the legal issues mentioned above


	5. Doms

**Basics**

Doms have an instinctive drive that pushes them to seek control, especially when stressed.

It is important to understand that this instinctive drive is not connected to ability or experience. Meaning a dom may attempt to seek control even if **they are not the best person suited for it in a given situation.**

For example, in the event of a car accident an overstressed dom may give orders to bystanders that are counterproductive or pointless, such as ordering a person to move a random piece of debris. Worse, they may give orders that are actively dangerous, such as ordering someone to move an injured victim.

As with all classes, expending the drive in controlled ways with a drive partner makes it easier to ignore when appropriate.

**Resonance**

Doms have an ability called resonance. It's a particular vocal register that makes it harder to ignore a dom's command. For most doms, this ability works best on subs and only marginally on the other classes, if at all. Even for subs it does not cause a *compulsion* to obey, only a desire that can be fought. A particularly strong dom may be able to use resonance to affect other classes as well. Using resonance does have an energy cost, so using it repeatedly will cause exhaustion.

It is considered quite impolite for a dom to use resonance on non-sub classes (even if doing so is usually ineffective.) It's also considered both rude and bordering on shameful to use it on subs that the dom does not have an existing drive partnership with. While doms have control over when they use it, a very stressed dom is going to feel more of push to do so. Resonance becomes more effective if the dom and sub have an ongoing relationship.

Much like all children have periods of regression, all children can use resonance, just very weakly. For non-doms it disappears around puberty. Doms will see it continue to grow in strength as they get older, usually peaking in their early 20s. 

**Drive Partnerships**

Doms, like all of the classes, can vary in the strength of their instinctive drive. The average dom needs at least weekly interaction with a sub drive partner to be regulated. Their resonance does not affect other classes, and subs who are unfamiliar with the dom can shake off its effects fairly easily. How, weekly is the bare minimum, and most doms will be more comfortable and better regulated with daily interaction.

Weak doms may need less interaction, and their resonance is easily shaken off even by long-term partners.

Temporary contracts between doms and subs for the purpose of drive regulation are typically premade templates. They require a witness and a video recording of the signing, but do not require the involvement of a lawyer as long term contracts do. Temporary contracts are set for a duration of one month, but can be broken at any time or extended repeatedly. While these relationships can be sexual (and often are), they certainly do not need to be. The drive for both can be filled by something as simple as the sub resting quietly on the dom's order. There are two primary ways to find a temporary partner:

-Drive apps offer a quick way to find local partners. They're very similar to Tinder.

-Sub Centers are places where subs can go to interact with vetted dom volunteers. They offer a bit more safety and a sense of regularity.

In the case of subdrop, a temporary dom has the same legal responsibility as any other citizen toward a sub in drop. Meaning they are obligated to ensure the sub is not hurt or left in a dangerous situation, but may call for the sub to be transferred to a sub center if they do not wish to interact.

**Designated Drive Partners**

A designated drive partnership is treated socially as similar to a marriage. While such contracts are legally easily dissolved, they are meant to be permanent and not to be taken lightly. They confer tax benefits that are similar to marriage as well.

Designated contracts are much more individual and set expectations for how often the partners interact for purposes of drive regulation, as well as expectations for the types of drive activities that both are willing to engage in. Such contracts may specify sexual activities, but exclusions apply. Right of refusal and safe words cannot be signed away. A contract cannot call for anything illegal, such as lasting harm. Contracts cannot be open ended (you cannot simply write 'anything is allowed'.)

If the sub chooses to live with the dom and give up employment, provisions must be made for alimony for a period of time if the contract is ended.

Designated contracts require visiting a specialized lawyer, as well as two uninvolved witness and the standard recording of the signing. Any modifications also require a lawyer. Violating the terms of a contract can result in fines and other penalties. Such penalties are greater for doms then subs.

Almost all designated contracts require that the dom take responsibility for a sub in drop. Subs in drop can't make decisions for themselves. If the sub is away from their dom when this happens, the dom will be contacted and is obligated to go to the sub as quickly as reasonably possible. Obviously there will be times they simply cannot reach their designated subs, but simply refusing to help them can result in steep penalties or jail time if the sub is hurt because of it.

A sub, in turn, has an obligation to interact with the dom regularly as specified in their contract. A sub who refuses to do so may face steep fines if the dom's unregulated drive causes significant impact on the dom's life, such as lose of employment.

**  
Doms Outnumbered  **

Subs outnumber doms, so doms are socially encouraged to either have poly partners or volunteer at sub centers. A dom who fails to do so will be regarded as selfish and shameful, bordering on unpatriotic. A dom who goes long periods without a partner at all will be viewed with a great deal of suspicion, with the assumption that the dom is unable to keep sub partners because they are abusive or too weak to be effective.

**Doms and Society**

Doms have a number of expectations and stereotypes attached to their class. The Five Squared universe is built on predictability. Any dom who falls outside the average in terms of ability or behavior is going to be in for a rough time.

While being a dom does not actually convey the ability to lead *well*, society stereotypes them as effective, strong, natural leaders. Society also confuses the dom's drive to seek control for a drive to seek *power*. Doms themselves will confuse and reinforce this, as they are given the message young that a 'proper' dom will always want to be on the top of the pyramid.

Doms are expected to seek employment in positions of power or positions where they can 'climb the ladder'. Doms in higher position will often view those in positions under them with suspicion, assuming they will someday come after the top dom's job.

A dom who takes employment in a noncompetitive field or who doesn't seek to move up will be viewed as weak and 'improper.' Doms are often locked out of positions that are usually taken by caregivers, such as nursing or teaching. Beyond the assumption that a caregiver would simply be more suited to that role, doms can be stereotyped as too controlling or rough to interact well with children.

Personality wise, doms are expected to be brash, controlling, adventurous, loud, self-centered, strong, protective, emotionally contained, and ambitious

** Young Doms and testing **

Young doms are sometimes confused for caregivers, as both can be prone to ordering around their peers. Caregiver, however, are very focused on issues of perceived protection or self-care, while doms are much more variable in their attempts at control. Young doms are typically easily frustrated and can be defiant toward those in authority. Their parents or teachers may sometimes make too much allowance in this regard or be too heavy handed in establishing control. Doms during testing can sometimes be quite volatile, as the stress triggers a very strong need to take control over their classmates and their youth means they have little experience in controlling that drive. 

**Dom Drop, and the downside of Domhood**

Because doms are expected to enjoy taking control, there is little allowance given for the emotional effects of always being the one in charge. And because they are stereotyped as strong, many do not think doms can be abused or taken advantage of by a sub partner. In sexual relationships, generally a dom is expected to cater to the sub's kinks and limits regardless of their own. There is also a stereotype of doms as kinky, so a dom who prefers strictly vanilla sex would be a subject of mockery. The pressure to be responsible for the sub's experience and safety combined with the social pressure to lead in all situations can result in dom drop. Dom drop is when the dom simply burns out from living up to expectations. It can have numerous mental health effects, including depression, dissociation, or complete physical and mental collapse. Society has reached a point where dom drop is at least considered real (in the past it's very existence was doubted), but it's not yet at the point where doms feel able to freely seek help without social ramifications.


End file.
